Detroit Lions locked in their offensive foundation. They're freed up to repay faith

The Detroit Lions had an intentional plan coming into the offseason to get over the final hurdle after the heights of 2023.

After experiencing the franchise' most success in three decades , the Lions got to work locking in the future of their biggest contributors and shoring up the few weak areas.

They immediately re-signed key contributors Jared Goff, Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown to massive, market-shifting deals, retooled the secondary and defensive line in free agency and the draft, then finished the offseason with one more extension for veteran left tackle Taylor Decker .

The moves were made with a singular goal — for this season and the foreseeable future: "Win the Super Bowl," general manager Brad Holmes said, setting his expectations for 2024 .

Holmes said the offseason approach was to maximize the chance of winning in future years with an eye towards sustainable success — rather than going all-in on 2024, despite his goals for the next six months. The focus was on continuing to add the type of players who fit the team's culture, while rewarding pieces of the new era of Lions football who have been at the forefront of the turnaround.

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"They got their guys and it just shows they believe in us," said Sewell, who signed a four-year, $112 million extension in April that briefly made him the highest-paid lineman in the NFL.

Sewell and St. Brown reset the market for their respective positions on the same day in the week leading up to the NFL draft in downtown Detroit. The two have been pillars of the turnaround under Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell since they were drafted in 2021 — the first year of this new era.

They set the blueprint for the new Lions' way, not only providing instant impact on the field, but taking on a leadership role in the locker room.

"You've got to be real at the end of the day," the 23-year-old Sewell explained. "If you try to be something you're not, then I don't think anybody is going to fall in line or want to be a part of that. So, be authentic, be yourself and let the heart speak."

Sewell has been the prime example of the type of culture the Lions have curated under Campbell and Holmes as a player-led team. Despite coming into the league with sky-high expectations as the No. 7 overall pick at just 20 years old, Sewell has established himself as a first-team All-Pro right tackle, which he credits to his daily work to improve.

The weight Sewell's voice carries amongst his teammates is obvious. He was voted as a team captain for the second straight year, along with St. Brown, in large part because of the example they set.

"No matter the highs, no matter the lows, they are the same dudes," center Frank Ragnow said of his four teammates who were extended. "(They are) hard workers and just pillars of who we are."

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Sewell's process at practice remains unwavering despite the offseason bag, taking no days off even if his veteran counterparts were resting — an illustration of his daily dedication.

"I try to lead by example," Sewell said. "I try not to say too much and just let my actions speak for itself. That saying, 'actions speak louder than words,' that's a phrase that I've kind of carried throughout my life, not just football. I do it better than I tell it."

Finding the right players and filling the locker room with those personalities was the first step in the Lions' overhaul from 3-13-1 in 2021 to a step away from the Super Bowl in 2023. The talented, team-first players continued to stream in through strong draft classes, ready to contribute immediately while the coaching staff stuck together, developed the talent and evolved the scheme to transform from a scrappy bunch that played with the right attitude into one of the most talented teams in the league. All while carrying that same mindset.

"It validates (us) in a great way," Sewell said of last season's success. "It's just what (Campbell) says — it is all about the work and it is all about these days right here in training camp leading into the season. And even in-season, like those Wednesday and Thursday practices mean a lot, too, and we don't take those things lightly.

"We come in each and every day with the intent of getting better."

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The Lions' rise under Campbell and Holmes has been astoundingly linear, from the NFL's cellar as one of the worst franchises across American sports to a team that came four points short of its first-ever trip to the Super Bowl in January . That quick improvement has positioned the Lions as a title contender with the pieces to be relevant for years to come in the wide-open NFC.

And the Lions feel like there is a blank slate to work with this year. Despite coming into the season with a proverbial target on their backs as a top playoff contender returning the coaching staff, nine offensive starters and eight defensive starters , the Lions feel this is another fresh start without the cloud of no playoff success that lingered previously.

"We don’t have to answer those questions anymore about trying to snap any streaks or anything like that, so it does feel good, but we’ve got bigger goals, and we are excited to try to obtain those," Goff said.

And the franchise alignment on those goals extends from the front office down to the locker room leaders.

"My personal goal is to win the Super Bowl," Sewell said.

Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city's professional teams, the state's two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 , and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions locked in their offensive foundation. They're freed up to repay faith